This is the man who both fascinated and inspired me-- more than any other artist --to be myself in everything I drew; to develop my own style and vision.

Most of you won't even know him... that is, until I tell you one of his stories can be found in the early 1980's film Heavy Metal.

I first met Moebius in Heavy Metal Magazine with the adventures of John Difool in "The Incal," and later with his graphic novel, "The Airtight Garage." I have always admired his work; his visionary worlds and concepts. He took the simple stroke of pen and made it beautiful. I wanted to draw like... still want to draw like him. I want his portion; the one God gave him.

A poster he painted for environmental conservation is directly
responsible for the main element of a short story wrote eleven years
ago; a story that is growing into a full length novel.

He took the ordinary and made it extraordinary by asking, "what if I...?" He paid attention to detail without drawing every detail. He extracted the beauty from the banal, forcing the simple lines to show what world-weary eyes often miss. to recognize And that's all I've been trying to do my entire life. Sometimes I've found my visions to be on the same par if not caliber. But his is the standard to which I've always looked.

There are certainly other artist I admire... Maxfield Parrish for one, Michael Parks, for another. Picasso before cubism (specifically his Rose Period)... but I can't help but love the man who gave sight to many of my own personal visions.

Prime example... Mike Malloy, a liberal talk show host, had this to say on Friday last:

“Their God … keeps smashing them into little grease spots on the
pavement in Alabama, and Mississippi, and Arkansas, and Georgia, and
Oklahoma... You know, the
Bible belt, where [in a mocking voice] they ain’t gonna let no goddamned
science get in the way, it says in the Bible, blah blah blah blah blah.
So, according to their way of thinking, God with his omnipotent thumb
reaches down here and so far tonight has smashed about 20 people into a
grease spot on highway 12, or whatever the hell highway they live next
to.”

On this same day, Rush Limbaugh stooped to the Left's level
and called a woman advocating that government provide free birth control
for promiscuity in addition to genuine medical need (some
physical conditions suffered by women are greatly ameliorated by the use
of birth control pills). Rush has since apologized, spending more than
30 minutes on air doing so. Will Mr. Malloy do likewise? Whether he will
or not is beside the point. And that point being, there is something
very wrong with America.

Liberalism is what is wrong.
Liberalism has turned everything moral on its head; everything that was
once immoral is now moral, and what was once moral is now immoral.
Liberalism now (and has ever) pushes its new morality, and demands the
rest of us both accept it as moral, and pay for it. All this while
bashing everyone who disagrees; who cling to the genuine morality, and
God's standard.

Homosexuality used to be an abomination; a public shame. Now it
is a badge of honor, to be paraded every year in the city streets, and
protected from discrimination every day. Homosexuality is now
celebrated.

Out of wedlock births used to be considered a public shame
because it violates God's standard of chasteness until marriage. Now it
is rewarded with government benefits and grants, and is viewed as
completely acceptable, despite studies which show that children born to
single mothers, with no involved father figure tend to do more poorly in life (education, socially, and career-wise) than children born to involved married parents.

Abortion used to be considered a terrible moral crime, and a
shame upon the women who got them. Today it is still considered such, by
and large, but largely by Liberalism.

Usury has always been immoral, yet everyone who provides you credit or loan, practices it daily.

I could cite more.

The point is, Liberalism is the problem*. It's mindset is aberrant and reprobate.

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because
that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed
it unto them. For
the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because
that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart
was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping
things. Wherefore
God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own
hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who
changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the
creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

For
this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women
did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and
likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in
their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is
unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error
which was meet.

And
even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave
them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient; being
filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity;
whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding,
covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
who
knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are
worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do
them. --Romans 1:18-32

This is the why; the foundational reason for why America has fallen
so far from God's grace; why judgment lies, even now, at the door.
Edmund Burke said 'all that is needed for evil to triumph is for good
men to do nothing.' And this is why America is in the sorry shape that
it is... good men, for decades, have chosen to do nothing to fight back
the encroachment of morality-eroding Liberalism.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for
light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for
bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in
their own sight! --Isaiah 5:20,21

And isn't this where we are today, in America? Liberals like
Maher can call Sarah Palin a "c^nt" and not feel the slightest need to
apologize; in Maher's case specifically, no pressure from HBO to
apologize. Mike Malloy can mock Christians and the states they live in;
in effect mocking God himself, but will likely never feel any personal
remorse for having said the evil things he did. All the while Rush
Limbaugh, recognizing a serious mistake on his part, is personally
compelled to issue a written apology on Saturday, and take up
considerable time on air yesterday to apologize further.

Why is it Liberalism feels no remorse for it's daily slander of
the right? for the millions of unborn murdered in what should be the
safest place on earth... their mother's womb? How is it that Liberalism
sees nothing immoral about forcing conscientious objectors to Obama's
healthcare mandate to provide abortions and contraception to employees?
How is it they cannot see that taxing one segment of society and
increasingly exorbitant rates is immoral? How is it that there is one
standard of conduct for Liberals in the public arena and quite another
for Conservatives?

I'll tell you. Based on the verses quoted from Romans above,
Liberalism is, as Michael Savage so apted stated, a mental disorder.

Here then is a warning to Liberals everywhere...

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption... --Galatians 6:7,8

And with that warning comes hope...

...but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. --Galatians 6:8b

It doesn't have to end badly for you individually, or
America. You have a choice. WE, as a nation, have a choice to turn away
from our wickedness, repent, and turn again to God.

------------ UPDATED - 2:54pm -------------

This is what's wrong with Liberalism. It asks questions of people to which it already knows the answer. Case in point...

Christian actor Kirk Cameron was a guest on “Piers Morgan Tonight” over the weekend to discuss “Monumental,”
his new project on the roots of America coming to theaters later this
month, when the British host of the program suddenly turned subject and
asked Cameron his views on homosexual marriage.

Cameron’s calm answer explaining his view that marriage “was defined
by God a long time ago … one man, one woman for life” has drawn a firestorm of criticism
from fellow celebrities, homosexual organizations and even rock
musician Nikki Sixx, who blasted Cameron as “a–hole of the week” for his
answer, and Roseanne Barr, who called Cameron “an accomplice to murder
with his hate speech.”

Nikki Sixx? Reprobate. Roseanne Barr? Ditto. That's not a
slam, it's a statement of truth. Why should folk with good moral values
care about the opinions of those without? To a point because these folk
are darlings of the media, and their voices carry weight with the rest
of the unregenerate/degenerate populace, but we should only care to the
point of being personally ready to give an answer for what and why Godly
men and women believe. No Godly man or woman ever, except to confirm
that righteousness and holy standards do exist in the mind of God, need
care what the unregenerate think of them. People who spend their entire
lives in the dark will invariably shield their eyes when the light of
truth is shone upon them. Some will respond and desire the light but,
sadly, many will not.

Cameron's response:

“In a recent interview about my film, “Monumental,”
I was asked to share my views on homosexuality, gay marriage and
abortion,” Cameron says. “I spoke as honestly as I could, but some
people believe my responses were not loving toward those in the gay
community. That is not true. I can assuredly say that it’s my life’s
mission to love all people.

“The only way to properly answer these kind of questions is to begin
the discussion with another question: Is life and sexuality sacred or
are they not?” he continues. “If they are, then God has something to say
about these things. If not, then everyone is entitled to their own
opinion on the matter.

“I believe that freedom of speech and freedom of religion go
hand-in-hand in America,” he continues. “I should be able to express
moral views on social issues – especially those that have been the
underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years – without being
slandered, accused of hate speech and told from those who preach
‘tolerance’ that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I’m in the public square.

“In any society that is governed by the rule of law, some form
of morality is always imposed. It’s inescapable,” Cameron asserts. “But
it is also a complicated subject, and that is why I believe we need to
learn how to debate these things with greater love and respect.

This much is so true of Liberalism... it demands, as Kirk
Cameron says, that those of us whose moral underpinnings greatly differ
from those of Liberalism must bend our beliefs to their moral standards
or be silent. Tolerance to Liberalism is an oxymoron; it only tolerates its moral positions.

And this is a fine illustration of what's wrong with America.

--------------

*Liberalism is not the sole enemy of a would-be moral America. But it is pervasive throughout America's culture, its attitude toward God, and all things holy.

I spent much of the mid to late sixties in Spain, but I remember how delighted I was at just 9 years old to discover, upon returning to the states, that television in America did not feature endless reruns of Roger Ramjet, and the Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle. All of a sudden there were real Saturday morning cartoons like Johnny Quest, Scooby Doo, Here Comes the Grump, H.R. Puffinstuff and, of course, The Monkees.

I loved the show, loved their only movie Head, and even loved waxing nostalgic
when MTV ran constant reruns way back when MTV was actually "Music Television." In that much simpler time, there were records on the back of cereal boxes; The Archies, Jackson 5, Josie & the Pussycats, Bobby Sherman, & The Monkees. I remember asking my mom to buy Honey Combs Cereal just to get the Monkees' Valleri. The quality was crap, but come on! Music on the back of a cereal box? What could be cooler than that to a 10-year old?

Years later, I remember an interview I saw with Davy Jones some years after the Monkees' reunion during which Davy spoke about how hard and lean the years were between the end of The Monkees and their reunion. He said, and I paraphrase, when you have money and fame, when you're on top of the world, everyone want to give you money. But when you're out of the limelight, you can't even get a bank loan; no one will give you anything, even if you really need it.

That bit of interview has stayed with me; mostly because it's a sad epitaph to our culture of celebrity.

In the end Davy Jones landed on his feet, and I love him for it. He leaves behind a wife and four daughters, and three band mates. His last performance was a solo gig on February 19th, in Oklahoma.

David Thomas "Davy" Jones

Just last August, when I was turning 51, Davy himself was quoted as saying, somewhat prophetically, "I used to be a heartthrob, now I'm a coronary." Oddly enough, he died on Leap Day. And, as Davy was himself a consummate
joker, I feel free to add my own sad quip... He was kind enough to die
on a day we won't have to think about more than once every four years.

But that's not true. I'll remember him every time I listen to a Monkees CD, or watch (for the umpteenth time) the movie "Head," which I must say lives up to its billing in the film's intro... These guys were a class act, and never took themselves too seriously.

Hey hey we are the Monkees
You know we love to pleaseA manufactured image
With no philosophies

We hope you like our story
Although there isn't one
That is to say there's many
That way there is more fun

You told us you like action
And games of many kinds
You like to dance, we like to sing
So let's all lose our minds!
We know it doesn't matter,
Cause what you came to see
Is what we'd love to give you,
And give it one, two, three!

But there may come three, two, one, two
Or jump from nine to five,
And when you see the end in sightThe beginning may arrive!

For those who look for meaning,
And form as they do facts,
We might tell you one thing
But we'd only take it back

Not back like in a box back
Not back like in a race,
Not back so we can keep it,
But back in time and space!
You say we're manufactured,
To that we all agree,
So make you choice and we'll rejoice
In never being free!

Hey hey we are the Monkees,
We've said it all before
The money's in we're made of tin
We're here to give you more!

The money's in we're made of tin
We're here to give you...

----------------------

Goodbye, Davy. It was all in good fun. Thanks for all the memories, and may God grant you peace and rest, and comfort to family and friends, and fans worldwide.

Because you were such a big part of our lives growing up, we are all Monkees now.